September 2019

The collection of dendrochronological samples for the study of tree rings in tropical forests is constrained by the hardness of the wood, limiting the use of increment bores traditionally used in coniferous from temperate and cold regions.  Therefore, most collections in tropical and subtropical forests are opportunistic, taking advantage of extraction programs carried out by private companies.  When companies authorize the collection of woody material in their logging areas, researchers proceed to cut thin cross sections (4-5 cm) of logged trees before they are removed from the field. In the photograph, a chainsaw operator is cutting a cross-section of a recently felled Centrolobium microchaete tree in Santa Monica, Ñuflo de Chavez Province, Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia. Photograph by Ricardo Villalba. Full paper here

Download high resolution file: ecog_42_09_cover.pdf